


In Their Shadows

by notcool



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Gen, Light Angst, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notcool/pseuds/notcool
Summary: As a child, the light and dark sides of the mindscape were nearly indistinguishable, but as Thomas grew older they were seperated.Janus knew they were all going through changes, but he hardly expected Creativity to straight up split in two.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	In Their Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Made the mistake of wondering how Janus and Remus' first meeting would have gone and now this fic exists. Enjoy, kiddos

_ When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow. _

_ -Ursula K. Le Guin _

\-------

The dark side of the mindscape wasn’t always this… well, dark.

When Thomas was younger, the line between the good and the bad was thin and easy to cross. Information wasn’t wrong or right, it was just information.

But the years passed, and the more Thomas learned, the more ways he had to come up with to sort the input, the praised and condemned filed off onto shelves further and further apart, and by the time Thomas was eleven the divide was nearly complete.

Janus and Virgil pushed to the shadows, Logic and Morality thrust under the spotlight, and Creativity growing more conflicted by the day, pacing the ever-growing void between the mindscape’s day and night.

Time seemed heavier, and they were all growing with Thomas, of course, but they had never grown so  _ differently _ before.

Virgil was more erratic, constantly fidgeting, and Janus was fairly certain his friend’s role as Fear was morphing into something more.

Logic was scrambling to get a handle on every new scrap of knowledge, as to be expected since Thomas’ schoolwork was picking up the pace. Morality was a hyperactive train wreck if Janus had to describe it, confused and trying to sort through Thomas’ rapidly forming emotions in a near panic.

Creativity… Janus wasn’t sure what to make of him. A few times Janus had tried venturing out into the twilight to talk with the side, but Creativity was too much of a mess to properly hold a conversation, and Janus had eventually given up and returned home.

Everyone was doing their own thing more or less, which was why when at age thirteen Thomas jolted awake in the dead of night from an uncharacteristically gruesome nightmare, sending the mindscape shaking with their hosts desperate breaths, Janus was at a complete loss for what had just happened.

The curling scream of terror from Virgil’s room had Janus on his feet and moving despite that his mind was going in circles, but he froze when he entered the hallway.

The shadowy echo of Thomas’ home had extended to accommodate a third door, and a sickly green light was pulsing around the frame, sending an unnatural chill down Janus’ spine.

Virgil’s door flew open and the side practically fell out, tears streaking his face and body trembling terribly.

Janus managed to move forward enough to catch Virgil’s stumbling form and wrapped his arms around him, turning to put himself between Virgil and the new door.

The green pulsing stopped.

Janus held his breath, fingers tightening their grip on the back of Virgil’s hoodie. The handle of the new door turned. The door was pulled open, and a side stepped out, their form fuzzy, as though they hadn't properly manifested yet, but they were definitely physical.

The long ruffled sleeves and sash were vaguely familiar, but they were not how they should have been.

“...Creativity?” Janus asked, although he knew whoever was standing before him now was someone he’d never met.

The new side held up his hands, looking them over, then looking down over his own outfit, head tilting, and finally he shrugged in a ‘ _ eh, it’ll do _ ’ sort of way.

Virgil’s face was still buried in Janus’ shoulder, terrified sobs racking his body and the majority of his weight being held up by Janus at this point.

“Creativity?” Janus asked again, hoping to get some sort of explanation out of the new side - after all, Thomas had been four when Janus and Logan had formed, and they were the youngest of the sides.

Not any more, apparently.

“Am I?” The side said, finally looking at Janus.

“Are you…?” Janus prodded.

“Creativity.” The new side said. “Am I Creativity?”

“I do not know.” Janus replied, uncertain now. “I asked you for a reason.”

The side hummed, looking himself over once more. “Yes.” He decided. “I think I am Creativity… or maybe not. I’m not sure.” He pursed his lips, thinking a moment. “Remus!” He said suddenly, making Janus jump slightly. “Remus, that’s who I am!”

“Remus.” Janus said slowly, watching carefully as the new side’s eyes lit up and he nodded excitedly. 

“Remus!” Remus agreed cheerily.

“Remus?” Virgil turned his head enough to free one of his bloodshot eyes, sniffing as he glanced over the new side.

“That’s me!” Remus bounced on his heels a little, a rather unsettling grin curling his lips beneath an equally unsettling mustache.

Creativity or otherwise, Remus didn’t seem like too much of a threat at least. Janus carefully loosened his grip on Virgil, making sure the side would stay standing on his own before letting go to extend a hand to their latest addition. 

“I am Janus. I function as Deceit.”

Remus seemed confused by the hand, but shook it after a moment of hesitation. His grip was strong, stronger than Janus had anticipated. It took all of Janus’ willpower not to recoil.

Virgil stayed pressed up against Janus, but at least he was holding himself up now. He sloppily wiped his eyes on his hoodie sleeves and offered Remus a small wave. “I-I’m Virgil. I function as… as Fear.”

Remus waved back. “Nice to meet you! I function as-uh…” He frowned, lips pursing once more in thought. After a moment his eyes visibility brightened, and if he’d been a dog his ears would have perked. “Dark Creativity!”

Janus blinked. “...Dark?”

Remus nodded, grin back full force. “Yeah! I think Light Creativity is on the other side of that weird twilight zone outside, but I’m here! You guys seem cool - dark and spooky. Nice horror movie vibes. I think I’ll like it here!”

Janus felt Virgil’s hands curling into the front of his shirt as the side tried to ground himself, clinging to the false calm Janus radiated in an attempt to keep himself composed.

The hallway was more or less stable now, their host calming slowly to Logic’s gentle reasoning. Janus allowed a small tendril of his own influence to slip into the conversation, offering half-empty promises of safety and certainty, helping Logic to coax Thomas back into slumber.

“It’s good to have you, Remus.” Janus said, offering a smile that even he, the physical embodiment of deception, couldn’t decide whether it was fake. “I hope we will be able to work together more often than in spite of each other.”

Remus clapped excitedly, as though this were a delightful statement. “I like you already Janus - no promises though!”


End file.
